Sunlit reindeer

There was no way I would miss this week's 52 Christmas Card Throwdown technique challenge - Smooshing!

I love this technique, so easy yet looks so amazing (I think!). The randomness of not being able to control exactly what you get appeals to me, especially when it's amazing!

This time, I wanted to put a slightly different spin on it, so I started by gessoing through stencils onto my card. This creates a resist, but it's matt and more subtle than something like clear embossing.

I made four backgrounds, well in advance, and thought I was well ahead of myself! I even managed to add the smooshed ink (distress inks) to them all. But making them into cards - well, only one got done in time, the rest will follow!

My favourite was actually my least favourite at the gesso stage. It uses the Clarity birch trees stencil, and I didn't think it was very clear. So I inked this first as a trial run - I used brushed corduroy, crushed olive and pine needles. And absolutely loved how it came out!  Funny how with crafting things can reverse so quickly and surprise you.

To convert my background into a card, I dragged my frayed burlap distress oxide over a spare scrap of card, then die cut my reindeer (Tattered Lace) and sentiment. I cut the background down, edged in the same frayed burlap, added the die cuts and mounted on a 6x6 card blank.

If I'd had more time, I might have added a drop shadow around the die cuts for depth - and I still might. But I love the light in this card, it's like the sun shining through the branches.



To join in this week, head over to the 52CCT blog. The challenge closes on Friday 1st November.